Nice guy that I am, I lent my troy-built super bronco 42" riding mower to a neighbor. He ran over a rock and bent the blade. I have tried and tried to get the old blade loose, but to no avail. I am thinking I must be doing something wrong. The nut I am working on is greater than 13/16, but I am using a knuckle buster since I don’t have the proper size socket. Am I working on the wrong part? Am I just not strong enough? I have replaced many a blade before on my old mower, no problem. Any advice?
I guess I mean he bent one of the two blades.
You checked for a cleverly hidden cotter pin?
If your Troy-Bilt is anything like my new 42" Toro, then those nuts were torqued to within an inch of their lives. 2 weeks ago, I was in the same boat, having hit a rock and severely bent one of the blades. I won’t tell you how I got the blades loose, because I’d be soundly lambasted for not using the proper tool* (and they’d be right, too). I will tell you that the nuts are standard right-hand thread and not locked in place with cotter pins. You may have better luck if you remove the deck for better access to the nuts.
*Think wrench, but not one normally used on nuts and bolts.
Ok, here is what I have done so far. I took off the top metal covering since the nut visible there spins with the blade. I have scraped and skinned myself raw trying to use standard wrenches. I am thinking that perhaps I need an extra long wrench, or more likely, a pipe that will fit over the end of my wrenches. Is that top nut something that will help me, or is it irrelevant in actually removing the blade? My old lawn mower was a piece of cake compared to this, which is sitting in my driveway, jacked up, but still with the old bent blade. I dread removing the deck, but if I have to, I will.
Also, I am coming up blank with a wrench, but not one that is commonly used with nuts and bolts.
I’m guessing pipe wrench…?
I work as a steam locomotive engineer and we do most of our own maintenance on the beast, so I hear you about skinning yourself raw.
Do you have a buddy with an impact wrench? I’d guess that even a local garage or shop would do it for you with no hassles (our NAPA here does machine work, and they pressed out a U-joint for my bush-hog once. Five minutes and like a buck fifty.)
Using a cheater bar may give you enough leverage. Have you tried locking a socket onto it and tapping the ratchet with a hammer? That’s the only way we can get the belly plugs loose on our boiler.
Grass juice is corrosive, and if you haven’t had the blades off in a while things will be rusted up badly. We take the blades off our silage/hay mowers regularly and still snap or strip the bolts. On preview, is it a metric nut? Say 22mm/23mm ish? Ours come with the top of the nut “crimped” to create a locking effect.
Edit: If it hasn’t been off in a while the nuts wear oddly too, which makes it hard to find a socket to fit. Sometimes it’s gotta be cut off.
I too hit a rock at the end of last year, a few minutes after this photo It tore off half of one of the 7 mowing disks, and chipped one tooth of every gear in the drive line. Repairs got to $25000, so the insurance company wrote off the machine :eek: Boss was more than pissed.
Link to the driveline Our model was the one BEFORE Claas introduced their “Safety Link” :smack:
is it by chance a left hand thread?
Do you have the owner’s manual? It might give hints like what the proper torque is, which would start to tell you how hard it is to remove.*
I would go buy a socket of the correct size in 6 point and use that with a breaker bar. Yeah, it will cost you a few bucks, but you won’t fuck up the machine, and you lower the chance of wounding yourself.
*If the torque spec is either
As tight as it will go +1/2 turn
or
Tighten it until it screams.
You are screwed.
Well, the Troy-Bilt site wouldn’t let me view a manual without the serial number, but from the pictures, that mower is virtually identical to the 42" Toro I bought earlier this year.
My manual says to remove the deck to change the blades. I’m guessing, since I didn’t do this, that it gives you much easier access to the hardware as well as a better way to hold the blade while turning the nut. FWIW, dropping the deck is relatively simple.
Congrats to BlakeTyner, yes it was a 14" pipewrench, and no, I’m not especially proud of that fact. About two more blade changes, and I’ll probably have to replace those nuts. :smack:
I have a breaker bar around here somewhere. I will find it and try it out. Also, a short length of pipe may be helpful.
You might try a little bit of heat.
Get that torch out.
I’m still swearing at the dealer for the spring bought Toro. I have not been able to remove that blade all summer. The nut is air impact wrench super tight. Ma said wait I have a free blade sharpening coupon. It is only good if you bring in the blade, and not the unit. I think the guy torques the blade on and give that coupon, so you’ll have to pay him by the hour to work on it. I told her if we bring the mower there, he is not to reinstall the blade, I will so I can sharpen the blade next time.
One thing I have heard with riding lawnmowers is that the blade balance is very important, otherwise you get some pretty nast vibration. Maybe better to have them do it anyhow.
Have you tried any penetrating lubricants?